Dispensing cap for tooth powder containers



INVENTOR Dec. 7, 1943. H. P. M NAlL DISPENSING CAP FOR TOOTH POWDERCONTAINERS Filed Sept. 25, 1941 Patented Dec. 7, 1943 untrue staresear-ent orricef DISPENSING CAP FOR TGOTH PQWDER r CONTAINERS 7 Howard F.McNeil, Detroit, Mich.

Application. September 25, 1941, Serial, No. 412,270

Claims.

This invention relates to a form of dispensing cap which may be appliedto or incorporated in the design of any type of container for toothpowder and similar products which it is desirable to dispense directlyon to the surface of a brush; and has for its object to provide a simplyoperable structure which will not only measure a desired amount ofpowder to be dispensed but which will form the measured amount of powderinto a more or less compacted tablet of suitable shape, structure, anddurability to remain on the surface of the brush, without undue tendencyto spill therefrom as the brush is removed from the dispenser to thepoint of actual use.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a dispensing device whichwill form a tablet having a relatively broad base to rest 9n thebristles of the brush and bevelled side walls approximating the normalangle of repose of the material, thus reducing any natural tendency ofthe material to change its formed shape after the dispenser is removedtherefrom; and a still further object is to provide a tablet formingdispenser which has a tendency to compact the granules of materialtogether by pressure during the formation of the said tablet.

A further object is to provide means whereby the final formation of thetablet is effected in the somewhat accelerated manner producing a snapor slight jarring of the forming parts, which has a tendency to effectthe final dislodging of the formed tablet from the enveloping surfacesof the dispensing apparatus.

A still further object is to provide a combination of arrangements inthe dispensing apparatus so devised as to lend themselves to readyassembly in a simple manner, while at the same time being correctlypositioned in operative relation on to the other and maintainingdesirable frictional and nesting characteristics which assure easy andefficient functioning of the device.

Still further objects and advantages, subsidiary to the aforesaidobjects or resulting from the construction or operation of the inventionas it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the saidinvention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may utilize the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, by way ofexample, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view'of the top of a container equipped with theimproved dispensing device;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan of underside of the same;

Figure 41s a a view similar to Figure 1 with the outer rotatable cap andinner rotatable liner removed;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the rotatable liner removed; v

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on, a plane indicated bythe line 88 in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the container top and dispenserillustrating a tooth brush positioned relative thereto; and

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the general shape of thecompacted powder mass delivered by the dispenser.

Similar characters of references indicate similar parts in the severalfigures of the drawing.

This invention is primarily intended to meet certain desirablerequirements inthe dispensing of individual applications oftooth powder,and in the drawing I have shown a powder container 1 having an endclosure 2 which in this case is provided with a hollow conical extension3. The interior of this extension is in free communication with theinterior of the said container i so that it may readily receive powdertherefrom.

The said extension 3 is provided with an elongated opening 5 extendingfrom a point near the base to a point near the extremity of the saidextension, and a wing 5 is projected inwardly of the conical extensionfrom one of the edges of the said opening ll. The said wing 5 ispreferably arranged at a distinct angle to the radius of the conicalextension 3 as clearly illustrated in Figure 8. A second-opening t isalso provided in the conical extension at a point somewhat remote fromthe first opening 4%, as clearly seen in Figure 4, this second openinghaving for'its purpose to provide clearance for the travel of a thumbpiece I extending outwardly and radially from a rotatable liner, 9housed within the said conical extension 3. The form and purpose of thisliner will be later further explained.

The extension 3 is surmounted by a rotatable cap I0, having an openingit therein corresponding to the opening 4 of the stationary conicalextension 3 and also having a slit l2 therein through which the saidthumb piece 1 of the liner 9 extends, whereby the said cap Ill and thesaid liner 9 are connected together for simultaneous rotation, in one orother direction, by the simple movement of the thumb piece I through thearc limited by the length or the slot 6 through which the said thumbpiece 1 passes.

As will be obvious, assembly of the described parts is very simple. Thecap I is simply placed over the extension 3 with the slit l2 registeringwith any part of the slot 6, and the liner is then inserted within theextension 3, the thumb piece I being passed through the slot 8 and theslit II, when the parts may thereafter be locked together by means of atongue l3, which may be sprung or otherwise forced out laterally fromthe thumb piece to engage with the cap Ill. The conical nature of theparts renders unnecessary any further securing or positioning means.

The liner 9 is not a complete cone, but preferably extends aroundsomewhat more than half the inner wall of the conical extension 3, asclearly shown in Figure 3, both to permit free operation and ease ofassembly. This liner is characterized by its having an inwardlydepressed portion formed in its leading edge, which is opposed to thewing of the stationary conical extension 3, the depression being furthercharacterized by an angularly disposed wall 14, the free marginalportion l5 of which engages. the free marginal portion of the wing 5when the liner is rotated in the required direction for that purpose.

The upper and lower ends of the depression are bounded by end walls Itand I1, preferably inclined toward each other as clearly shown in Figure7, so that, when the depressed portion of the liner is moved intoengagement with the wing. 5 of the stationary cone, a pocket is formedwhich is the counterpart of the shape of a somewhat tapered prism, whichshape is shown in Figure as a preferred form of compacted tooth powdertablet which it is desired to dispense.

The other edge of the liner is provided with an inwardly bent or offsetlip i8 which, in the dispensing position of the parts, snaps intoengagement with a projection l9 formed within the stationary conicalextension 3, and also serves to cause the liner to flex inwardly andride over this extension when the liner is rotated away from thedispensing position.

In the drawing the assembled parts are all shown in the dispensingposition, wherein the tablet of tooth powder is formed by the closure ofthe indented portion of the liner against the wing I of the stationarymember 3. This may be considered as the open or dispensing position, andit will be obvious that when the liner 9 is rotated (in ananti-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 8) to a closed position, theangularly disposed wall H of the liner will be rotated away from andinto spaced relation to the said wing 5 thus permitting loose powderwithin the stationary cone 3 to enter freely between the walls It andI5. At the same time such rotation of the outer cap ill will cause it toclose the opening 4 and thereby prevent the escape of powder.

The movement of the liner to the dispensing position shown in Figure 8will gather this powder between the relatively inclined wing 5 and thewall II as they are brought together, resulting in the compacting of adesired amount thereof and the formation of a more or less stable tabletsuch as is shown in Figures 9 and 10.

I prefer that the angularity of the walls ll, 16, and I! of theindentation, and of the wing 5, be such that they will form a compactedmass having bevelled sides 2| and 22, and bevelled ends 23 and 24, asthis not only facilitates the tablet in freeing itself as the dispensingaction is completed,

but also provides a form of tablet with a broad baseand inclined sidesespecially adapted to rest on the bristles of the tooth brush withoutspilling or losing its form while the tooth brush is brought into actualoral use.

The dislodgement of the tablet from its formative walls is furtherpromoted by the action of the lip l8 snapping into position in front orthe projection l9 and thereby adding a flip" or suddenly acceleratedmotion of the liner into a jarring contact with the wing 5 which servesto finally dislodge the tablet of tooth powder from the dispenser.

Most tooth powders are of such a nature that they readily lendthemselves to compacting in the manner described, and, although thedischarge opening of the dispenser increases progressively as the wall Il approaches the wing 5 or the tabletforming device, it is not found, inactual practice, that any material escape of the contents from thedevice takes place with such tooth powders. However, there are somepowders of such a dry nature, as pure sodium perborate, which are not soreadily compacted, or which when compacted have no great tendency toretain the compacted form, but the bevelled nature of the sides of theform tablet, being substantially that of the angle of repose of thematerial, serves to prevent spillage or breakdown of the tabletstructure when it is deposited on the brush. It should be borne in mindthat, although the outlet of the dispenser is progressively openingduring the tablet-forming operation, this outlet may be actually closedby holding the bristles of the brush in position thereover. Therefore,any tendency which the powder might otherwise have to prematurely escapefrom the tablet-forming device is circumvented by the presence of thebrush during the compacting operation.

25 is a recess formed and positioned in the cap 2 of the container toact as a locating sto wher by the tooth brush 26 may be definitelypositioned with the respect to the outlet of the dispenser to receivethe compacted tablet of tooth powder.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claimswithout departing from the essential features of the said invention, andit is desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merelyillustrative and not in a strictly limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a tooth powder dispenser, a container, a substantially conicalextension thereof having a side discharge opening, a wing extendinginwardly at an angle to the radius from one edge of said opening, arotatable liner within said extension having a depressed wall portionmovable to impinge against said wing and forming therewith when in suchimpingement a powder-compacting pocket at said opening, and an outerrotary cap enveloping said extension and coupled to said liner, said capalso having an opening therein positioned to register with saiddischarge opening when said liner is moved to bring the depressed wallportion thereof into impingement with said wing.

2. In a tooth powder dispenser, a container, a substantially conicalextension thereof having a side discharge opening, a wing extendinginwardly at an angle to the radius of said extension from one edge ofsaid opening, a rotatable liner within said extension having a depressedwall portion movable to impinge against said wing and forming therewithwhen in such impingement a powder-compacting pocket at said opening,said depressed portion having a main side wall disposed at an angle tosaid wing whereby the formed pocket is of a substantially wedge shapedcharacter, and an outer rotary cap enveloping said extension and coupledto said liner, said cap also having an opening therein positioned toregister with said discharge opening when said liner is moved to bringthe depressed wall portion thereof into impingement with said wing.- 1

3. In a tooth powder dispenser, a container, a substantially conicalextension thereof having a side discharge opening, a wing extendinginwardly from an edge of said opening, a rotatable liner within saidextension having a depressed wall portion movable to impinge againstsaid wing and forming therewith when in such impingement apowder-compacting pocket at said opening, an outer rotary cap envelopingsaid extension, said cap also having an opening therein positioned toregister with said discharge opening when said liner is moved to bringthe depressed wall portion thereof into impingement with said wing, anda thumb piece extending from said liner through and engaging said cap tosecure said liner and said cap together for rotary operation.

4. In a tooth powder dispenser, a container, a substantially conicalextension thereof having a side discharge opening, a wing extendinginwardly from one edge of said opening, a rotatable liner within saidextension having adepressed wall portion movable to impingeagainst saidwing and forming therewith when in such impingement a powder-compactingpocket at said opening, an outer rotary cap enveloping said extensionand coupled to said liner, said cap also having an opening thereinpositioned to register with said discharge opening when said liner ismoved to bring the depressed wall portion thereof into impingement withsaid wing, an inclined member on the edge of saidliner remote from saiddepressed portion, and means in said conical extension cooperating withsaid inclined portion to accelerate the final closing movement of saidliner against said wing.

5. In a tooth powder dispenser, a container, a substantially conicalextension thereof having a side discharge opening, a wing extendinginwardly from one edge of said opening, a rotatable liner within saidextension having a depressed wall portion movable to impinge againstsaid wing and forming therewith when in such impingement apowder-compacting pocket at said opening, an outer rotary cap envelopingsaid extension and coupled to said liner, said cap also tooth powderiromsaid opening.

' nowmn P. McNAIL.

